NHRC Seeks ATR on Death of College Girl in Ragging

Bhubaneswar: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought for an Action Taken Report (ATR) on the alleged death of a girl student due to ragging in the hostel of BJB Autonomous College on July 2 last. Acting on a petition filed by Civil Rights Lawyer Radhakanta Tripathy the Apex human rights panel has sought the ATR within
four weeks from the Principal Secretary,Higher Education Department of Odisha government and the Commissioner of Police, Bhubaneswar. A victim of ragging, Ruchika Mohanty, an undergraduate student of BJB Autonomous College, Bhubaneswar stated in her suicide note that she was ending her life after being fed up with mental harassment by three senior girl students. In the suicide letter, the girl mentioned that she was under depression after being constantly ragged and tortured by three of her seniors. She could not share her plight with her parents and room mates. However, the purported suicide note did not mention the names of the three students. Her parents have demanded a thorough probe into the incident and also demanded stringent action against students responsible for her death. The girl studying BA (Honours) History course stayed back in her room and locked it from inside when her roommates left to attend classes at around 10 am. The girl’s mother lodged a complaint with Badagada police
station urging the police to find the culprits. The alleged suicide of the girl student comes about three months after a first-year MBBS student in Bolangir committed suicide after he was allegedly tortured by his seniors, where the NHRC had also intervened. Tripathy requested to conduct an investigation from all standpoints associating the parents and friends of the deceased girl student in the BJB College incident. He also urged the commission to assess the situation and recommend the State unearth the mystery, ascertain the exact facts and circumstances of the
death, ensure a cordial atmosphere in the educational institutions, take serious legal action against the wrong doers
and pay compensation of Rs 50 lakhs to the family members of the deceased.

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